How to watch calories at holiday parties

December 16, 2012|By Alisa Bowman, Special to The Morning Call

Holiday parties and gatherings can be a scary venture for the weight conscious. There's all of that food — wonderful high calorie food — and so much idle time to stare at it and think about how much we want to eat it.

I wouldn't, of course, know about any of this from personal experience. I'm just going on what others have told me. Of course.

At any rate, those "others" have also told me that they solve this predicament by making this decision: No holiday parties — ever.

That sounds like a drag, though, doesn't it?

Plus researchers tell us that we can enjoy ourselves and automatically keep calories in check with some simple tricks. For instance, research done at Georgia Tech and several other institutions finds that using smaller plates, glasses and bowls helps us eat roughly 31 percent less without feeling deprived. That's because we tend to pile food onto our plates until the plate looks full, and then most people consume 92 percent of the food on that plate, regardless of their levels of fullness.

"If you want to lose weight, use smaller china and flatware," says Koert van Ittersum, associate professor of marketing in Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business. "While 4 ounces of food on an 8-ounce plate might look like a good helping, 4 ounces on a 10-ounce plate could seem skimpy." Tall, slender glasses provide the same effect as smaller plates.

We can also shrink portions by choosing plates that visually contrast with our food. In one study, for instance, people served themselves much more white-sauce pasta onto a white plate than red sauce pasta on a white plate. And research at Cornell shows that people eat 18 percent less and enjoy their meal more if they dine with softer lighting, soft music and attractive surroundings (a table cloth, a nicely set table) than if they dine in a loud, bright environment.

Here's more advice from experts in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

•"At holiday parties where there are so many choices of food options, look before plating," suggests Lisa Musicien, a bariatric dietitian at St. Luke's Hospital. "Choose your favorite three. This way you don't feel deprived."

•"Never show up to a holiday party hungry," warns Brett Blumenthal, author of "52 Small Changes and A Whole New You" (Coming Jan. 2). "Doing so will increase your likelihood for eating unhealthy things and overindulging. Have a healthy snack beforehand, such as a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts, which is loaded with fiber and healthy fats to keep you satiated. Then drink 16 ounces of water immediately before entering."

•Enjoy the moment. "Holidays typically consist of one big meal, and so many people try to be good during these meals only to fall apart with the leftovers during the weekend that follows," says Pete Cerqua, fitness trainer and author of several books including "The High Intensity Fitness Revolution for Women" (coming this January). "My advice is to eat and enjoy your holiday meal. Don't pass up on the sweet potatoes or cornbread or any of mom's special holiday traditional dishes. The trick is to leave the holiday behind when the meal ends.

"Keep in mind that a holiday meal is only one out of 21 in an average week, and also consider that there are only four or five major holidays each year that revolve around food. Your body can handle extra calories if you limit your indulgences to only a few times per year."